


The Neko and The Pharaoh

by The_Author106



Series: The Neko Series [1]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! - All Media Types, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: M/M, Neko Au, Neko Joey, Neko Marik, Neko Ryou, Neko Yami, Neko Yugi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:33:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 17,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25704433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Author106/pseuds/The_Author106
Summary: Single parenthood isn’t easy but when your child gets kidnapped and taken from the only home you’ve ever known in your life. You’ll do anything to get them back safe and sound, Now follow Yami and his friends on this adventure where more challenges await in the new world of Egypt.
Relationships: Atem/Yami Yuugi, Bakura Ryou/Yami Bakura, Jounouchi Katsuya | Joey Wheeler/Kaiba Seto, Marik Ishtar/Yami Marik
Series: The Neko Series [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1867300
Comments: 5
Kudos: 30





	1. The Neko Village

The Neko village of japan was a beautiful sight to behold for those who have the chance and honor to see its beauty. The Neko's made this rule because they know many who wish to take their own kind into slavery or feared the worst if a greedy human took hold of a Neko. The village was peaceful and many Neko children enjoyed playing with each other or enjoyed relaxing in the sun. Others were more committed to work alongside their parents. The Emperor of Japan loved to care for the neko's and his kingdom as if they were all children that needed a father figure. At times a male Neko could have children if they found their rightful mate. Many neko's know that finding true love was impossible and one particular Neko didn't have time to believe in fairy tales and he thought of his son as a blessing from his late lover and now he has to face one particular problem which starts off every morning with a child crying out for his papa.

"It's alright little one, I'm here" Yami cooed at his seven-month-year-old son

Yami had tri-colored hair that had amethyst tips and black hair for the base along with blonde bangs. He had black and crimson tip ears, his tail was black with a bit of a crimson shine to it when it sways in the sunlight.

"Now, no need to fuss. I have your morning bottle," Yami giggled when his son smiled and waved his hands at Yami "Cheeky little thing," Yami said as he the bottle of milk and fed his son Yugi who immediately grabbed the bottle with his hands as Yami held it for him

Yugi had the same black tail and ears except for the tips of his ears were amethyst while his tail also had an amethyst shine to it. Yami had a difficult time raising yugi for the first two months of his birth since his past lover died of an incurable sickness and many lives were lost since neko's were the only ones affected except for those who were somehow immune to it.

"Slow down Yugi, you'll get hiccups and then you'll get fussy," Yami said as he tried to get yugi to slow down from drinking his bottle

Yugi finished drinking his morning bottle and smiled at his papa before he hiccuped and gave a confused look and hiccuped again then he soon started to get fussy.

"I told you," Yami said with a chuckle as he burped Yugi

Yami smiled and got ready for the day and dressed Yugi. Yami wore a cream-colored shirt with strings tied across his chest along with dark brown pants and brown shoes. Yugi was dressed in a white shirt with grey-white pants and wore no shoes. The two went out to enjoy the spring day along with a small picnic when it is time for lunch. The two enjoyed watching the flowers and feeling the wind in their hair, well Yami did, Yugi was busy trying to catch butterflies.

"Hey Yami" Rebecca greeted as the ten-year-old noticed Yugi "hello yugi...still adorable as ever" Rebecca cooed at the baby Neko

"Hello Rebecca, how is your grandfather," Yami asked as he grabbed Yugi from crawling away

"He's fine but he's going on another adventure soon and I'm going with him," Rebecca said in excitement

"Do humans always go on adventures?" Yami asked as he leaned against the tree while holding yugi in his lap

"Not always but it's really fascinating to meet new people and cultures," Rebecca said as she played with yugi and laughed when he got confused on what she was doing

"I don't think he knows what you're doing with your hands," Yami said as he laughed at the silly face Rebecca made when she removed her hands

"Well my grandpa used to play this game with me when I was a toddler and you just place your hands over your face and say surprise or make a silly face," Rebecca said as she pouted once yugi was no longer playing with her but staring at a butterfly

Yami chuckled and shared his lunch with Rebecca as he fed yugi his midday bottle. They stayed there for a few more minutes until Rebecca had to go and pack her things for the journey ahead of her. Yami bid her well and cradled a sleeping yugi against his chest as he packed up their things to head home. By the time they arrived home the sun was already high above the sky and the village was already hard at work.

'Home sweet home' Yami thought with a sad smile as he remembered the days where he and his lover would curl up against each other near the fireplace to just enjoy being near one another

Yami went to the nursery and placed yugi in his crib and went to his own room and stared at a picture of him and his lover when he was three months pregnant with yugi. He closed his eyes for some sleep before yugi woke him up for attention.

He spent his day at home and had his friends come over for dinner as they talked about their day as the sun began to set over the horizon while they talked and laughed with one another. Yugi at the time was taking his nap while his mother was talking with his friends, bidding them goodbye for the night as they went home as the moon began to rise in the sky.

When the sun began to settle below the horizon, the village was already getting ready to go to bed and spend the evening with family or their significant other. It was then that the sudden ambush to their village brought them out of their musings. Why the attack happened was because a Lord was searching for a gift for the Pharaoh of Egypt, he was cruel and wanted to gain more power by any means necessary. He and a group of associates who work in the black market circled the village and on his order they attacked. No one knew what was going on but the moment a house caught on fire screams were heard around the village and many went out their homes to see the situation only to be met with humans with strange clothing. Many escaped to a neighboring Neko village using a secret pathway that was hidden in the neko forest while few others protected the elderly and young from harm.

"Capture one of them!" The Egyptian Lord commanded as he watched the entire ordeal on his horse

Yami awoke to screams and heard the door to his house being barged into, he quickly ran to the nursery only to be met with a man with yugi in his arms. Yugi cried in fear and wanted comfort from his mother, the man smirked at Yami then jumped out the window with the baby in his arms, dropping a pendant during his escape. "NO!" Yami yelled as he ran towards the window

He heard men come into his home and he jumped out his window and landed gracefully on the ground before searching for the man who had his son. He saw many neko's run towards the part of the forest that led towards the secret pathway, he saw fires being lit up and other neko's protecting their loved ones from harm. He searched and ran further into the flames of his village until he saw the man that had his son, before he could run towards him he was suddenly grabbed by another Neko.

"Yami we have to go!" Jonouchi yelled but Yami refused to listen and struggled against him

"No!...they have my son!" Yami cried as he was dragged away from the fire

Yami freed himself from Jono's grip and ran toward the direction the man went until a wooden beam broke and was going to fall on Yami if it wasn't for Jonouchi pushing him out of the way. The last thing Yami saw was the fire and his son being taken away and his cries were the only thing he heard until everything went black.

Throughout the ordeal, to say the Egyptian Lord was disappointed when he thought his conquest was for nothing but that went away when he saw one of his men carrying a crying child in his arms. "Perfect now let us return to Egypt and bring our gift to the Pharaoh," the Lord said as he left the village

Unknown to them, the Egyptian Lord and his comrades, Rebecca arrived when the attack was over just when she saw the noble leaving with his comrades, she growled to herself and left to find the other neko's and prayed they were alright. What she saw sickened her; there were many dead bodies laying on the ground, blood everywhere she stepped as she saw the charred remains of what was the most beautiful place in Japan.

"Hello!...Anyone!...Hello!...it's me, Rebecca!" She yelled as tears streamed down her face

Some neko's who hid in the forest came out of hiding while the others stayed in their neighbor's village for the meantime. She was relieved to see many of them alive but seeing everyone tired and hurt made her cry. Jonouchi placed a hand on her shoulder and she hugged him tightly as she could no longer bear to see what happened.

"What happened?" Rebecca sobbed as she looked around at everyone, seeing their wounds and burns

"These strange men came and attacked the village and they destroyed everything, killed families and friends" Jonouchi said as tears welled up in his eyes as he looked at the lifeless bodies of his separated parents

"Is Yami okay?" Rebecca asked in fear of the answer she will receive 

"No, he didn't take things to well and you can find him at his hut...don't worry he's still alive but he's emotionally wounded" Jonouchi explained as he rounded up all the survivors to pack up their things to move and travel to the neighboring village

Rebecca ran towards Yami's house and up the stairs, she looked into his room and found it odd that she didn't hear yugi crying. She checked the nursery and saw Yami clutching a crimson blanket with yugi's name sewed on the right corner. Yami had tears in his eyes and didn't hear Rebecca come in until she touched his shoulder and quickly turned around to face the intruder just to see her.

"Yami I'm so sorry," Rebecca said as she hugged the Neko

"It wasn't your fault, they did this not you" Yami said as Rebecca stared at him in sympathy

Yami was going to leave the room when he stepped on something that wasn't supposed to be in his home in the first place. Looking down he saw the object he stepped on as he placed the small blanket on the nightstand as he leaned down to pick up the bronze pendant and examined the symbol in curiosity. "Do you know what this means?" Yami asked as he showed Rebecca the pendant

"I think I do but I can't read hieroglyphics that well" Rebecca admitted as she took the pendant from Yami

"Hieroglyphics?" Yami questioned as he stared at the young girl in confusion at the unknown term

"It's Egyptian and it comes from Egypt before you ask" Rebecca informed as she watched the Neko in concern. She was startled when seeing the contemplated look on his face as he ran to his room, grabbed a bag, and started to pack important things for his journey. While she followed him out of concern for his mental state. "Yami if your doing something dangerous than I'm coming to," Rebecca sternly said 

"No...you have to go on that adventure you talked about so much," Yami said as he packed fresh clothes

"Well you need an escort and me and my grandfather just so happen to go to Egypt for one of his trades," Rebecca said as she examined her nails

Yami stopped packing his things and knew he needed Rebecca to find yugi in Egypt and to get to Egypt he needed a ship. "Alright, but you don't tell your grandfather or anyone else and I'll get Jonouchi to come...he can teach me how to fight if necessary" Yami said as he finished packing his things

Rebecca nodded and left the village while Yami managed to get Jonouchi alone and convince him to come on his journey and teach him how to fight. Though it took a while as the golden neko was stubborn and was skeptical of giving into Yami’s request but relented after thinking it through if the crimson neko went on his own. Jonouchi left to pack his things and convince his sister to leave with the other neko's while he would secretly give yami lessons in defending himself. Yami knew it would be hours before he could leave so he dedicated that time to bury the dead and give them a proper funeral before nightfall.


	2. The Pharaoh of Egypt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Atem; wielder of the Millenium Puzzle   
> Aknadin; wielder of the Millenium Eye  
> Isis; wielder of the Millenium Necklace  
> Karim; wielder of the Millenium Scale  
> Mahad; wielder of the Millenium Ring  
> Seto; wielder of the Millenium Rod  
> Shada; wielder of the Millenium Key  
> Shimon; wielder of the Millenium Key

The tides of the ocean rocked the ship as the Egyptian Lord sailed back to Egypt the first chance he got the moment the deed was done. He paid his associates and left them to tend to their own ways of returning to Egypt. The crew he was with handled everything, the cleaning, repairs, steering the ship, and checking the sails for any tear of some kind but the one thing they couldn't handle was a baby especially a baby Neko.

"Argh!... I can't stand it anymore!...can someone shut him up already!" The noble yelled to the crew as he turned to stare at them in fury

"No one knows how to take care of a child" a crew member spat out not even bothering to be respectful to the man

Yugi kept crying and almost the entire ship had something to cover their ears with until the captain had enough of Yugi's constant crying, heading towards the ship's kitchen he grabbed a celery stick, and just stuffed it in the baby's mouth. Yugi did stop crying for a few sweet seconds but he spat out the vegetable to only begin crying again and in frustration, the captain pulled his beard and went above deck to get away from the noise.

"We need a woman to handle that creature!" The captain yelled angrily

"Agreed" the entire crew yelled out as they covered their ears again as Yugi kept crying

"We'll stop at the next port!" The captain ordered as he went to talk with the important guest on his ship

The crew members on the ship didn't know the noble’s name and didn't bother to ask him about it as they only cared about the sum of money they were promised in order to stay quiet about the young neko aboard the ship. The captain stormed towards the Egyptian noble’s room and informed him of their plans to stop at the next port in a day or so which made the noble groan in frustration at the intrusion.

"Fine!, but do not disturb me!" He angrily said as he went back to rehearsing on what he should say to the pharaoh

Meanwhile, in Japan, Jonouchi was teaching Yami how to fight and defend himself but the younger neko was on his back for the twentieth time in a row. Jonouchi was drinking some water and Yami was catching his breath as he still lay on the ground. "Yami how are we going to get on the floating thing if the emperor doesn't allow neko's to leave the safety of Japan," Jono asked as Yami stayed quiet

"Well..." Yami started nervously as he stood up and faced Jono with a smile

"Hey I know that look please tell me we are not doing what I think we're doing," Jono asked as Yami smiled mischievously at him

"I can't believe we snuck out of japan!" Jonouchi whispered harshly at Yami

"It was the only way to get to Egypt" Yami whispered back as he made himself comfortable

Jono glared at him but one single sound caught their attention and stayed quiet until the unknown threat left from their hiding spot. They tensed when hearing the lid to the crate they were in begin to open until they saw a familiar face poke their head in. "I thought you guys might be hungry," Rebecca said with a smile

"Rebecca a little warning next time," Jonouchi said with as he glared at the young girl

"Well I can't just yell that I'm coming down here besides I can't come down here as often or else the crew would get suspicious," Rebecca said as she handed them a satchel made of cloth filled with fruit and a bit of meat

"Thank you, Rebecca," Yami said as he ate a peach

"Okay I'll go now but that satchel should last you guys two days if you ration it just right" Rebecca said as she turned to look around before facing them again “I’ll be back to bring more food soon” she said before leaving the two neko’s alone 

Jonouchi and Yami made themselves comfortable and decided sleep was the best course of action as they couldn’t do anything else. It didn’t take long for Jono to be fast asleep while Yami lay awake and thoughts about his son being harmed didn’t stop his imagination from going wild. With a shake of his head, he decided that sleep would help clear his mind from negative thoughts. 

Far from the ocean's waters, there was a prosperous empire and there, ruled a kindhearted king and currently, its ruler was in a meeting and everything was going smoothly until there was a slight disagreement and he was now rubbing his head to lessen the pain. As he listened to his own court argue back and forth. 

"We can't postpone the celebration for one setback!" one priest yelled angrily

"Something bad will happen, I saw it!" another priest yelled to the other who only scoffed at the notion

"Most of it! And what does this supposed threat cause to the festival?!" Aknadin sternly questioned as he crossed his arms

"The destruction of the festivities because of one person. Aknadin" she said plainly stated as she stared at him with narrowed eyes

"I agree with Isis not because she is my wife but because I care for the safety of others" one priest stated as another argument broke out between the priest

The pharaoh sighed as he dealt with an oncoming headache and soon enough he snapped "ENOUGH!" he yelled angrily making the room quiet before turning to his guards “We will need a private moment to ourselves. Wait for us outside the council chambers” and with a bow his guards left and he turned to his council

"Forgive us Pharaoh," one apologized as he bowed

"There is no need for formalities when it is just us Shada” The pharaoh said a smile making the priest smile 

“Of course, Atem”

“As for the festivities, they shall go on just as planned but I shall put more guards on the watch if anything goes wrong" Atem assured to everyone concerned about the hidden threat

With a few mumbled agreements, Atem sent everyone to attend their duties and left to his chambers to relax for the day. He took off his golden armbands and earrings except for his crown. He walked towards his balcony and stared at the city not far from his palace for a while until he heard a knock on his door. "Come in," Atem said as he glanced at the approaching form of his cousin

"I could've been one of those Harem girls...you should be more careful cousin" He snickered as he stood beside him

"Just because they are from a harem doesn't mean I would actually sleep with one and I shall not start today or any day" Atem answered with a glare “But what brings you here Seto?” 

"Relax cousin, I only find it funny that they come into your room when your not aware," Seto said with a smirk planted on his face “And as for why I’m here, I came to inform you that some of the guests that are coming for the festival are arriving in a week" he informed as he walked to the balcony and stared at the city with Atem

"Don't tell me...Lord Mazaki is coming along with his niece Anzu Mazaki" Atem said

"Well I don't mind his niece but her uncle is a whole different story," Seto said as he glared at nothing in particular

"The man can be selfish but if we offend him then he will go tell his brother then we'll have to deal with the situation" Atem informed as he went back inside his room

"Well I wouldn't do it but who would be stupid enough to offend a Lord especially Lord Mazaki," Seto said as he left the room

Atem sighed and saw that Ra had already begun his journey to the underworld. He changed into his nightclothes and took off his crown and went to sleep until he attended his royal duties the next morning.


	3. Heading to Egypt

Almost two months have passed since the Neko village was attacked, the Captain’s ship was docked and his men were getting ready to bargain or trade for supplies. And by that time Yugi's crying hadn't ceased, the Egyptian noble stayed in his cabin for the trip and began planning his next plan to get more power than the Pharaoh himself.

"Alright men...search for nannies to take care of the little nipper before we leave port," the Captain said as he handled something with the Dock manager

The crew muttered but complied as they went off the ship to handle their task while they left the neko with their captain who didn’t trust the noble to be alone on his ship, especially if there was a baby on board no matter what it looked like. Yugi sniffled and stayed quiet while he watched the captain work, it was interesting as he watched the captain look over maps and use mapping tools while he did. The captain was relieved but the sudden silence was becoming unnerving as the neko just kept staring at him. When his men arrived back to the ship, he was beyond relieved as he heard two women come aboard, he grabbed the neko from the basket he was placed in and walked out his quarters. The girls were lightly tan and wore clothes that the captain had to refrain from cursing as he couldn’t believe his men hadn’t bothered to search for one simple nanny. 

He gave Yugi to one of his men before grabbing his co-captain by the shoulder and walked far enough so they wouldn’t be heard. “Your job was to look for Nannies!” he whispered harshly 

His co-captain smiled sheepishly as he turned to look at the girls before turning his gaze to his captain, “Well they said they had experience working with children” 

The captain whispered a few curses and took a deep breath and released it slowly as he looked at his second in command, “And do they look like nannies to you! To me, they look like the women you’ll find below the docks!” He snapped 

With that said he walked back to his crew and to the two women who looked just as confused as one of them was now holding Yugi at arm's length away from her. _“May I ask what we’ve been hired to do? We were told we were supposed to take care of a caravan”_

And just like that the captain blinked not once but twice as he turned to his men before he sent them all off the ship to gather supplies instead while he left his second in charge of the ship while he kindly explained to the women, in their language, that there was a miscommunication as he took yugi from their arms and gave them a bag of silver for the trouble. Now he was off to search for a proper nanny while men went off to gather supplies again. It didn't take him long to find a nanny who agreed to help the captain for a certain price. Now back on the ship, the crew was now ready to leave as they spent the next morning cleaning and swabbing the deck while the captain steered the ship out the docks and back onto the open waters of the ocean. 

It was only a few weeks later when the Hawkin’s arrived that everyone on board the ship left to stretch and explore for a bit before returning at sunset. Jono and Yami took this opportunity to stretch their legs and walk around below deck for a while. It wasn’t long before they heard voices coming from one of the crates. 

"Who could that be?" Yami whispered to Jonouchi

"I don’t know, but I don't like it,” Jonouchi said as he carefully walked to the crates as Yami followed behind him. He listened intently and chose the crate to the right and carefully opened the lid and almost dropped it in surprise while the guilty party smiled sheepishly at the two Neko's. "Ryou?!, Malik?!" Jono said in a surprised whisper

"What are you doing here?" Yami whispered to them as he looked in the crate

"Well we heard about what happened and about your plan and decided to help," Malik said as he made a move to get out the crate. Jono and Yami took a few steps back letting the Neko stretch his limbs while Ryou followed his example. 

"No, you followed them even though I told you not to," Ryou said as he glared at Malik while the other shrugged

"Details, details...but I do know how to get in and out of the ship along with Ryou's expertise in blending in and out," Malik said with a smile as he turned to his friend’s 

Yami sighed but smiled as the two had their hearts in the right direction but taking the same risks was too much even for him. It wasn’t long when they heard footsteps and they scrambled to hide as they watched from their hiding places and watched who came down the stairs. It didn’t take long for a familiar face to come down, Yami sighed as he got out of his hiding place as Rebecca smiled and gave them a bag of their provisions. It was then she noticed Malik, and Ryou on the ship did she blink a couple of times before looking at the bag of provisions. 

“I’m gonna have to do a second run,” Rebecca said making the Neko’s laugh

While they all chatted and listened to Rebecca tell of all the things she saw at the city not far away from the docks, it was cut short when voices were heard and the Neko's scrambled back into the crates as Rebecca acted as if she was playing below deck. After an awkward conversation later, Rebecca left with two of the crewmates as settled for the night. The Neko's now crammed back inside the crates stayed quiet for some time before they slowly opened the lids and peeked out to see if anyone else was there. Seeing the coast was clear they slowly climbed out and settled in a circle as they shared their meal while the moon began to appear in the sky as the sun set over the horizon. Each day passing was nerve-wracking as Rebecca often came down to tell them how much longer it would be to arrive in lower Egypt, Yami often came up with plans but dismissed as quickly as he thought of them. Malik and Ryou took the chance to 'earn' some money every time the ship docked to restock supplies which left Jono to fume in anger but settled to annoyance each time the deed was done.

The Neko's were already stocking up provisions for themselves along with collecting money they managed to 'find' on their nightly adventures each time the ship docks to gather supplies. They could already feel the heat settle among the ship and thanks to Rebecca they knew they were getting closer to Egypt each day and that it wouldn't be long until they docked and left the ship to head out in the desert themselves.


	4. Arriving in Egypt

The sounds of people yelling were the sign that they arrived in lower Egypt, people were seen selling fruit, and food. While others were managing boats, and trade with other merchants and visiting foreigners. Watching everyone enjoy their afternoon was refreshing to the crew as they had to deal with a pompous noble and one neko who didn’t know the means of when to stop crying. The Egyptian noble himself was grinning wickedly when the ship docked and when disembarking he found his entourage waiting for him. The Noble’s scribe paid the captain and they rode off back to his estate, the nanny though was hesitant to give the neko to the Noble but complied as she gave Yugi a worried look. The captain wasn’t happy leaving Yugi either but there was nothing he could do to keep the Egyptian Noble from taking the neko away. They watched as the group rode off back into the desert and went back to do their task and take the nanny back to her home and they continued with their trades and getting foreigners from place to place. 

The journey back to the estate was tiring as the neko cried throughout the entire journey, and arriving at the estate didn’t make things better. Currently, the Egyptian Noble was in his office trying to finish reading some documents as the sounds of Yugi crying echoed throughout the entire mansion. He banged his head on his desk as he could no longer deal with the neko’s insufferable crying.

"WILL SOMEONE SHUT THAT CREATURE UP!" He yelled as he pulled his hair in frustration

With mumblings of ‘Yes, Lord Mazaki’ and ‘Of course, my lord’ the servants responded back in nervousness and went to calm yugi down, but nothing they did would get him to stop crying. The neko refused anything the servants gave him and screamed louder if they even tried to force something in his mouth to calm him.

"I'll be ruined if I give that creature to the Pharaoh" Mazaki groaned, placing his head into the palm of his has as he shook his head slowly 

Continuing his work, and nearly considering selling the neko off to someone else and giving his Pharaoh something far less noisy. He should have listened to the old woman who oversees the neko village from her hilltop home. What he didn't know about Neko's is that when you threaten their young, the dominant of the pair will go and eliminate the threat, but since Yugi's father is dead, his papa or mother will have to save their child from harm. With a groan, he got up from his seat and ordered his servants to prepare for his departure to Upper Egypt for the celebration the Pharaoh was hosting. By the next morning, he was ready to leave his estate with the neko in the arms of one of his maids as the trip would indeed take a toll on them all. 

It was by nightfall when the Hawkins ship arrived in lower Egypt, the crew anchored their ship and the one thing on their minds was to get a good night’s rest. While Yami and his friends snuck off the ship and left a small gift for Rebecca’s taking a risk keeping them a secret from everyone. They walked through the town hiding behind barrels and in alleyways until they stole a few cloaks from a shop then two horses from a stable. By the time they left the town far behind the owners saw the missing items and animals and were going to report the crime to the guards. If it wasn’t for finding crystal flowers growing where the animals and items in the place they were taken from. 

Far off into the desert, over sand dunes, Yami awoke to the sun's rays, blinking his eyes open a few times to wake himself properly; he groaned and sat stretching sore muscles. He could hear the others talk and joke around as he stood up to pack his sleeping mat then head outside the tent to join his friends. 

"What is this?" Malik asked as he held the foreign fruit in his hand 

"I don't know...I wish Rebecca were here. She would know" ryou said as he examined the fruit himself

Jonouchi ate the fruit from Malik’s hand and smiled as he began eating more of it. “It isn’t poisonous that's for sure” as he kept eating more of the fruit as the other two Neko's shrugged and ate the fruit anyway

"Yami, aren't you going to eat?" Malik asked his friend when seeing him emerge out of his tent

"I'll eat later," Yami said as he readied the horses

"But there might not be another paradise like this for miles," Ryou said in concern for his friend

Yami ignored their concern and saddled up to catch up on lost time, the others looked at their friend with worry before packing up their camp. Ryou filled the canteens with water, Malik picked fruits, and Jonouchi readied their horses for them.

"Let us move," Yami said sternly once the other three Neko's got everything ready

They nodded and followed Yami to the desert once more to search for Yugi. The man who took Yugi was going to pay, and Yami knew he and his friends were going to get in trouble when the emperor found out they left the protection of Japan. With their camp packed up and supplies stocked, two rode on each horse as they rode off into unknown territory. The heat was upon them and wearing cloaks didn’t help them get used to the weather. Yami wore his hood and a piece of fabric across his face to keep the bugs from getting in his mouth. Jono, Malik, and Ryou did the same thing, but Malik was having a tough time getting used to something covering his face.

“You know if you keep doing that, you’ll just make it worse for yourself,” Yami said as Malik glared at him

“I don’t understand why we have to wear these things, it’s bothersome” Malik hissed out as he took off the fabric covering his mouth with a relieved smile “That’s better” 

“We are trying to stay out of trouble, and drawing attention to ourselves is the least of our worries” Jono responded while Malik scoffed 

“We are in the middle of nowhere. Who is going to see us” Malik snapped as he gestured to the open sand around them

“He has a point” Ryou said as he took off the fabric from his mouth, “It should be fine so long we don’t get cocky” 

Unknown to the four Neko's, they were being watched by a group of bandits along with their leader, the Thief King himself. "Look at that boys, a few travelers on their merry way" Akiefa laughed as he saw the four Neko's in disguise

"Should we attack now, my king?" Asked one of the bandits

"Let them believe they are safe for now...but for now we keep following them," Akiefa said as he got on his horse and began to follow the neko's

"Yes my king," the bandit said with forced loyalty to the Thief King

As the bandit left, Akiefa watched him leave from the corner of his eye before turning back to their newest victims of the night. With a cruel smile, he watched them all have the sense of safety that not many would show out into the desert lands, especially if it was where he and his men rode out in robbing anyone they came across and if casualties were to happen then it was a mishap on their behalf. 


	5. Desert Thieves

Nightfall has already risen and it wasn’t long when the bandits got themselves ready to surround their target. Yami and his friends were around the fire talking of what to do and where to go next as they had no idea where they were in the desert lands. The sounds of men hollering and laughing brought them out of their musings to quickly turn and find the culprits. They all were tense as they stood to face the strangers circling around them as they laughed. The Neko’s narrowed their eyes as they turned their heads each time one of the bandits got too close to them. It didn’t take long for them all to quiet down and made way for a man on a majestic black stallion, he wore a stunning red coat with gold lining and beautiful blue and purple patterns on the back. He smirked at their new targets as he looked at each one before his grey eyes caught sight of beautiful brown doe eyes. His focus remained on the foreign stranger for some time before he quickly snapped out of his stupor to get right down to business. 

"I see that my men gave you a warm welcome into our lands,” He said as a few of his men chuckled or gave a malicious grin “Where are my manners, I am Akiefa, Thief King in the desert lands of Egypt” His smile faded when he saw the confused or bored expressions in their eyes “You all are not from around these parts are you?” Akiefa questioned as he took a closer look at them 

_ “What in the world is he saying?” Malik whispered to Jono as he shrugged as he looked back at the group of thieves  _

_ “I have no idea, he keeps talking though he does say Ak-efa so much I think that’s his name” Jono whispered back  _

_ “Will you two be quiet, It’s bad enough that we left Japan but we can’t afford to be captured” Ryou snapped as he wearily looked at the bandits around them _

Akiefa watched them whisper before he motioned for his trusted friend to come to him as he kept his gaze and the foreigners. “Do they even understand what we are saying, Cyro?” he asked as his friend shrugged

“It is possible, they don’t appear to be from these lands and they surely aren’t from rich families as-” Cyro didn’t get to finish as the screams of one of their men was heard

Looking over at the group, they were shocked to find one of them had one of their best fighters kneeling on the ground and his arm bent behind him in the most painful way. Akiefa was quick off his horse as he and Cyro drew out their weapons and pointed it at the small group. The three foreigners looked at each other before gazing at the Thief King and his men as the tension became overwhelming.

“I don’t think you need me to punctuate this, let him go and you all won't be harmed” Akiefa calmly said as he raised his sword at them but his words were ignored as amethyst eyes narrowed 

_ “You may not recognize me, But I remember you” He hissed out and with one twist he broke the man’s arm and he would’ve finished the job if he wasn't pulled off his victim. Screaming out his frustration he struggled against his captor and found his friends being restrained  _

“Akiefa, I think Kodak has the answers we need for our questions once we make it back to the Valley of Thieves” Cyro informed as he held a brown satchel and held a familiar pendant belonging to one certain lord

“I see that Lord Mazaki pays well, or you offered yourself to his treasures,” Akiefa said darkly as he turned to the wounded thief “What the foreigner did to do will be nothing when I gain answers” 

Kodak growled out in pain and frustration as he saw Akiefa walk away from him. Not bothering to look behind him was Akiefa’s mistake on his part as he knew that Kodak was a traitorous and psychopathic man and would not hesitate to kill him. Everything happened in slow motion as the yells coming from everyone were no concern for him but for the doe-eyed beauty that stood before him as he heard labored breathing. Seeing the stranger turn was when he snapped out of his stupor when seeing blood on his hands along with the weapon in his delicate hands. Taking action he caught the other the first second he began to sway, his breathing became labored as the shock wore off. 

“Hold on, Hold on. You’re going to be alright” Akiefa said as he gently lowered him on the warm desert sand “Where is that blasted healer!” he snapped at his men as he put pressure on the wound “Cyro you will deal with Kodak. I’ve had enough of his actions” 

One look at his friend he didn’t need to know what he meant by his words. “I’ll make sure he won’t be of a problem again my friend,” Cyro said as he gathered four men and hauled Kodak away before he could make an escape

His curses were ignored as he was dragged away and could no longer be seen or heard as the attention was drawn back to the wounded stranger. His friends were frozen in shock as they saw Ryou bleeding out in front of them, each in their own world as the trauma they experienced returned full force. Time passed by in a blur as they could hardly recall being led away on horses as Ryou was placed on a flat hard surface with someone tending his wounds before telling the other to leave with Ryou. Each awoke in a new and strange place and the new scents and sounds intrigued them for a short while before remembering about their wounded friend. 

Yami was the first to get up from the bed of furs and before he could pull the curtain he was met with the same man from before. He was still covered in blood and looked as if he hadn't slept all night with narrowed eyes, Yami took a few steps back as he watched the other wearily. Jono and Malik were by his side in an instant as the tension was slowly growing as the human before them, only stared coldly and had not said a word since he arrived. Malik was the first to notice their cloaks were gone and cursed as he pointed out the problem to his friends. 

_ “He knows” Jono whispered as his ears perked at each sound made in the caves  _

_ “What do we do? We’re at his mercy and we’ve come so far to just give up now” Malik panicked as he looked between the stranger and Jono _

“What are you?” Akiefa asked as he gestured to the foreigner's appearance and that is what made them snap their attention to him 

Yami sighed and before he could utter a word they heard a familiar voice along with one that sounded annoyed at the other. Akiefa was the first to turn and had to blink a couple of times as he saw the doe-eyed beauty up and walking as if he wasn’t just stabbed the night before. His friends were the first to let out a sigh of relief before freezing as they looked Ryou over, not believing their eyes at the sudden healing factor. 

_ “Ryou” Yami began but seeing the look in those brown eyes made him stay quiet _

“Hel...Hell...Hello” Ryou shyly said as he looked at Akiefa before giving him a questioning gaze “You were the one that saved my life” he stated as Akiefa gawked at him before his healer slapped the back of his head 

“Wenlock!” Akiefa snapped as he glared at the other who only shrugged 

“You were making a fool of yourself by just standing there. I may be old, and a thief but even I have manners” Wenlock said as he waved his king goodbye “Make sure he gets some rest, I’m not sure what they are but whatever he did, it helped him heal much quicker” And with that said he left the group and back to his healer’s hut

Akiefa shook his head before turning back to the strange creature next to him. “You can speak our language now?” he asked as Ryou nodded 

“You haven’t answered my question,” Ryou asked as he looked at Akiefa in the eye

They kept eye contact with one other and neither back down from the staring contest they held. if you looked closely the shimmering pink glow danced around their eyes before it left just as quickly it appeared. Akiefa was the first to submit as he looked around before landing his attention back to the creature before him. 

“Yes. But why did you save mine?” Akiefa asked as he crossed arms and leaned against the entrance to the cave they were in 

“I ask the same for you” Ryou quipped making Akiefa give a rare and true smile to the other 

“You are strange, I know not of what you are but you intrigue me. You can tell you, friends, they are welcome to stay for how long they wish” Akiefa said as he turned to leave “Though I do expect answers to why Kodak was harmed, though he had it coming for a long time” 

Ryou smiled and saw him leave the makeshift room before following him out, he called out to the other and graced him with a warm smile. “My name is Ryou and you said you were...Akefa?” 

The thief laughed at the butchered name but proper introductions were in order. “I am Akiefa, a pleasure to be of acquaintance,” he said as he bowed slightly 


	6. Court of Thieves Pt.1

Introductions were in order once Ryou finished his conversation with Akiefa, with a smile he stepped towards his friends as if getting stabbed in the midsection happened months ago. The others looked him over in complete and utter confusion, not understanding how their friend was fully healed and healthy. Seeing their confused faces, Ryou decided explanations were in order and hoped they didn’t think he was crazy. 

“You spoke his language…” Jono said slowly 

“Yes I did” Ryou replied softly 

“You’re fully healed” Yami began as he looked Ryou over once more

“I am” 

“You were flirting with someone you just met” Malik chimed making Ryou choke on-air as he looked at him in surprise 

“I wouldn’t call it flirting” Ryou stammered 

“So you admit you were flirting” 

“Yes, wait No! We’re getting off subject here” 

Malik laughed at how red Ryou became as he stammered to come up with a good enough response. Jono and Yami couldn’t help but begin to laugh as well as Ryou’s face became a darker shade of red. Yami was the first to calm himself, clearing his throat to make sure he doesn’t laugh again. 

“Besides all that, Ryou I believe explanations are in order” 

“Yes, as I was trying to say earlier before I was interrupted. Do you all know about Fated Mates?” 

“Of course we heard about these fables, we’ve all been told this story since we were children” Malik frowned as he crossed his arms.

“Yes, but there are many versions of it and from your version it’s incomplete” 

“What do you mean Ryou?” Yami asked as curiosity got the best of him 

With a sigh, Ryou began to tell his people's version of the story, “As we know about fated ones it brings a blessing of having healthy beautiful children. But between my people's version and yours are a bit similar but there is a difference” 

“Like what kind?” Malik asked 

“Well, when we meet our fated mate. I’ve heard we gain more heightened abilities with our powers but with your version, it tells of a prophecy but as we all know Yami was the only in the village to ever meet his fated one until…” 

“Enough about that. We don’t need to go into details of that day” Yami snapped. Shivering as he hugged himself 

With a frown, Ryou apologetically looked at Yami, “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to bring up something traumatic” 

“It’s alright Ryou, so how does this explain you suddenly walking around as if nothing happened?” Jono asked as he waved his hand to gesture to Ryou’s midsection

“Oh! It turns out the Thief King is my fated mate, and it heightened my healing abilities. I don’t know what happens if I use it to that extent” Ryou explained as his friends were more confused than ever

Before Ryou could explain more, one of Akeifa’s acquaintances came into their ‘room’ and said a few words as Ryou translated what he was saying to his friends. He left after delivering his message leaving the nekos to think over the job they have been offered. 

“We are not helping them” Jono snapped 

“They do have the resources” Ryou pointed out 

“We can’t trust them, they’re humans” Malik growled out

“But they do have the means to give me answers” Yami suddenly said as his friends turned to look at him

“WHAT!” 

“Think about it, I injured one of their own, clearly he has pillaged villages before and we get to infiltrate human villages and have protection at the same time” 

“Yami, I know you’ve been through so much but we need to think this through” Ryou firmly said 

With a sigh, Yami replied, “This may be my only chance to get Yugi back” 

They frowned as Yami did speak the truth but the risks involved were too much for them to deal with if they were caught. Yami saw their hesitance and couldn’t help but feel guilty for asking too much of them as they had already done so much for him already. “You don’t need to do this if you don’t want to. But I want my son and this is the only way for me to find him” 

The others looked at each other before agreeing, it didn’t take long for one of Akiefa’s men to return and await their answer. Yami turned to look at the others and nodded his head towards Ryou who in turn responded to the thief. He was quick to leave as Jono hoped they made the right decision that wouldn’t end up dooming them all. 

“I hope you know what you’re doing Yami” Malik said 

“Don’t worry, if things get out of hand we will just deal with them our way” 

The dark intent made the others agree as their trust in humans is strained and possibly broken. Ryou said nothing as he quietly left the room he was in to clear his head of the doubts in Yami's plan and what Akiefa had planned for them. He marveled at the different things he has come upon, from pots and fabrics to clothes and music. The human’s culture was so different from his own that he didn’t see where he was going and bumped into someone. 

“Oh I’m sorry I didn’t see where I was-” Ryou began before seeing who it was “Oh it’s you” 

“I’m not that bad a person if you get to know me” Akiefa sarcastically said 

“I’m sorry that was rude of me” 

“It is alright...if I may be so bold, what are you?” 

“I beg your pardon?” Ryou said in offense as he gave Akiefa a quizzical look 

“I mean!....wait I’ll only make it worse if I say anything else” 

Ryou couldn’t help but laugh at his flustered state, “To answer your question, I’m an Atlantian Neko my friends Jono and Yami are Japanese Neko’s” 

“What of your tanned friend?” Akiefa asked 

“He doesn’t talk much about where is from, but judging from your tone I believe you know what he is” 

“He’s an Egyptian Neko, My people use to protect their existence in our lands before…nevermind that what brings you here to Egypt” 

Ryou faltered at the question, “that is a personal matter but if it makes you feel better may I see your men?” 

“Strange request but I’ll allow it for a good reason” 

“They attacked my village and massacred half of the people. Is that a good reason” 

Akiefa’s expression hardened as he grabbed Ryou’s arm and pulled him through the caverns and weaved their way through people before making it to their destination. Grabbing the horn from the hook of the rock wall he blew it causing his clan of thieves to come to him in the blink of an eye. Ryou watched as two of akiefa’s men brought his friends who were confused about what was happening around them. 

_ /Ryou what is going on?/  _

_ Ryou jumped at the sudden voice in his head before looking over at Malik who calmly looked straight at him. With a sigh, he eyed Akiefa as he waited for all of his men to arrive before looking at Malik. /I told him what happened to our village/  _

_ /YOU DID WHAT!/  _

_ Wincing at yelling. Ryou responded, /I didn’t think he will call his entire clan/ _

_ /At this point Ryou he would do anything for and you’ve only known each other for a day and a half/ Malik pointed out  _

_ /I just wanted to see the men who attacked our home. Our people deserve justice don’t they/  _

Malik said nothing as he waited for what Akiefa had to say, well what Ryou would translate for them after Akiefa was done talking. “Those who have traveled to coastal parts of Egypt step forward, stay quiet and your fate will be much worse” 


	7. Court of Thieves Pt.2

Everyone watched as men began to walk forward as the tension was thick in the air, Yami watched them with narrowed eyes as identified most of the men he saw attack his village. Akiefa had a neutral expression that caused unease to spread through his clan as he watched the guilty party step forward. He frowned when he didn’t see Kodak but he didn’t wait when his friend came with another dragging the thief towards him. 

“I know you were the one to deal with Lord Mazaki, but causing a massacre against our code of conduct. You basically signed your fate” Akiefa began as he eyed them all “I always did wonder what happened to most of the clan when you all returned from your trip” he looked over at his friend when hearing bags of gold being thrown to the ground “Cyro punctual as always” 

“And as always old friend I managed to get evidence before you send these men to their fate” Cyro responded before his expression turned grim “We found some of Mazaki’s treasures in their possession” he reported with disgust “Most of these possessions aren’t even from our lands” 

“We may be thieves but we are no murderers. We swore an oath to protect these creatures and you all wanted to attack their village” Akiefa bellowed as his anger frightened those guilty 

Yami growled when seeing Kodak again, causing those near him to step away from the nekos as the hostility from Yami was overwhelming. “Yami calm yourself” Jono whispered

“Don’t tell me to calm down these humans killed half our village and took my son” Yami snapped as he showed his fangs 

Kodak watched Akiefa with hatred in his eyes as the Thief King walked by him without a second glance. He tried shrugging the men holding him on knees but gave out a pain cry when one of them touched his broken arm. Kodak hissed through his teeth as Akiefa merely smirked at him when he turned to face him. 

“Now Kodak, you know you shouldn’t move that arm so much or else it won’t properly heal” akiefa chided as he mocked the other thief 

Kodak yelled in anger as the mockery continued, “By abiding by the code we limit ourselves to limitless treasure in Egypt and beyond the waters! We owe these creatures nothing!” 

Everyone wasn’t shocked when Kodak was thrown back a few feet, all they did was watch Akiefa’s blank expression. “Our people have been charged with protecting these creatures for as long anyone can remember. Not even the Pharaoh knows of their existence and we shall keep it that way until our last breaths”

Ryou watched in awe as Akiefa handled the issue at hand with ease as there was no one to deny the claims he made towards his men. He was startled when Akiefa was suddenly in front of him with the same grim expression. “Tell me Ryou, can identify the men who attacked your home?” 

Ryou looked at the men lined up in front and nodded, “Yes”

“Will your comrades be able to identify them as well” 

Looking at his friends he walked toward them and translated what Akiefa asked him and they simply nodded their heads as they looked at the guilty party. They said a few words to Ryou before he turned back to face Akiefa. “They were all there, most of them were killed off by our people” 

“That was all I needed to hear. Thank you Ryou” Akiefa said with a smile before it changed when turning to the traitors “You know what to do Cyro” 

“Of course my King” he responded before turning to his group “Take them out into the desert!” he ordered

There was no sympathy for those involved in the attack in Japan the moment they returned to Egypt their fate was sealed the moment they returned to the clan and the nekos watched as they struggled to break free while few accepted their fate. Kodak was the last to be escorted but was met with one very angry neko who growled at the man. 

“Where is he” Yami hissed as Kodak smirked but stayed quiet 

Akiefa watched as he looked over at Ryou and whispered a few things to him before he grabbed Kodak by the throat. “Where’s the boy” 

Kodak chuckled as he struggled to breathe in air, “Mazaki...is prob...probably half...way across...the desert...with it” 

Kodak began to laugh but it was quick to end as Akiefa snapped his neck. “You know I never did like him” 

There was no sympathy as everyone left back to do their merry ways while Akiefa returned to his hut. Ryou wanted to follow but was more worried about Yami’s state of mind. Malik stood quietly as he reached into the dead man’s pocket to retrieve something belonging to his family. Taking out an item wrapped in cloth he unfolded it slightly to see a solid gold item and smiled before covering the object and placed it in his satchel. Hearing the frustrated hiss he turned to look at Yami as he stormed off in a random direction with Jono following the distressed neko. 

“Do you think he will be alright?” Ryou asked 

“No, but at least we are a few steps closer to finding yugi” Malik sighed as he and Ryou went back to their assigned “hut” to rest for the night 

With Yami, he hissed and growled and the humans made sure to stay out of their way as he passed by them. While Jono chased after him as he avoided bumping into humans and wandering hands trying to make a grab at him. Once out of peering eyes, golden eyes looked over at a sulking neko as he leaned against the cool rocks.

“You know throwing a tantrum won't get you anywhere,” Jono said as he walked up to the other neko 

With a bitter laugh, Yami wiped his tears and responded, “It was either that or half of the humans would be dead on the floor” 

“We will get Yugi back, Yami. We just need to plan how” Jono reassured before sighing “Just don’t do anything stupid” 

Yami turned to face him but the other was gone and what was left was a bag filled with food and water. There were some essentials for him when he examined the bag before turning to face the desert. The young neko looked back at the cave entrance to the thief clan before staring back out into the desert. “Thank you Jono” he whispered into the night as deserts winds picked as sand flew everywhere when it died down the neko was nowhere to be seen.


	8. Desert Pains

Riding through the desert plains of Egypt in the desert oasis, Yami stood as he filled his canteen up with water as his borrowed horse ate from the grass the desert managed to provide. With a sigh, the young Neko went to sit under the cool shade of a tree while his thoughts wandered to the night his village was attacked. Remembering the cries and screams of children and adults alike tortured him as the sounds of his own child crying out for him still haunted his dreams. Opening his eyes with a tired sigh, spending most of the night urging for the stallion to continue their journey before he stubbornly made a stop upon an oasis. Yami wasn’t happy with the arrangement but complied to rest for a few hours before continuing their journey. Amethyst eyes looked over at the horse now taking a nap, guilt suddenly washed over him when he recalled the state the horse was in. The horse was exhausted and nearly collapsed when Yami finally got off his back; giving him some of his food supply was the least he could do. 

Leaning back against the tree, Yami closed his eyes to continue sorting out his thoughts on what he should do next. Jono already provided a way for him to slip away unnoticed from a clan full of thieves, he already traveled to what he hoped was halfway across the desert but all he saw for miles was sand. He wouldn’t be surprised if isn’t anywhere near to where he felt Yugi would be held captive. Exhaustion finally caught up with him as he entered a dreamless sleep as his thoughts continued to plague him. Before he awoke with a start as he panted and noticed the Sun was already setting. Frowning he looked over at his horse and found the animal staring back at him. 

With a sigh Yami rested his arm on his knee, “I’m sorry for what I put you through” The horse snorted, clearly asking for me than a simple apology from the Neko. “And for technically stealing you away from your home” Noticing the stare he was given, Yami groaned. “And for not giving you food or water for the duration of the trip. I won’t be bothered if you don’t accept my apology but I am truly sorry” 

The horse snorted again, clearly pleased with the apology he was given, and stood from his spot and waited for Yami to climb onto his back. With a smile, the Neko gathered his things and saddled himself before clicking his tongue to begin their travel again. 'Don't worry Yugi I'm coming' 

With his friends, they were currently answering Akiefa’s questions on Yami's whereabouts. Jono listened to Ryou translate back and forth before he gave up and just answered the questions for them. “You mean to tell me he took my trusted steed and went off into the desert alone” 

“Yes, I believe I said this already” responded Ryou 

“And pray tell how will he find his way to the great city of Egypt?” Akiefa scoffed as Ryou paused to think on an answer

“Yami is stubborn and he may not think things through. But you must understand we nekos are protective of our young. It's best we find Yami quickly before there are...casualties” 

Akiefa began to curse under his breath as he walked side to side before looking over at the three Neko’s, “At least he knows how to defend himself...does he know how to defend himself?” 

Jono said a few words making Ryou pale before smiling sheepishly at Akiefa, “well he knows most of the basics” 

With a raised brow Akiefa responded with, “Like?” 

“Oh, um...well he uh?...um...he can punch and kick?” 

Akiefa groaned into his hands, “he's doomed. Maybe he might last a week if he has Tomaru, he knows his way around the desert sands. You three will accompany me and a group to find him. You all are close to him and know him best” 

Jono and Malik said a few words as Ryou commented a few times before turning to face the thief king. “We will help as much as we can so long you don’t let humans notice us” 

“We will try, people here don’t take kindly to outsiders. So if they do spot you, do what is necessary to survive” 

“Then let’s get ready to leave” 

The deal was made as they left to gather the supplies needed out for the desert. The nekos were rushed into a spare room and clothes were given to each of them to suit the heat of the sun and the harsh desert cold. Cyro was left in charge until Akeifa returned from his search with or without Yami. It caused a few arguments but it was settled in the end as getting closer to the Pharaoh’s palace was a risk even Akiefa wasn’t willing to take for the sake of his men. The group left when the moon began to shine high above the sky. Stars shown above them as they rode across the desert sands, Malik took in the sights around him as stories his father often told him made him smile sadly under his mask before fixing the fabric over his mouth. Looking over at their charges, Akeifa hoped that their friend doesn’t do anything stupid to gain the Pharaoh’s attention but then again a little chaos never hurt anyone. 


	9. It Happened at a Festival

The great city of Egypt, home to the Pharaoh, who currently wished that the meeting he was in would come to end. Atem laid his head on his hand as he watched his council argue over the festivities they were preparing for. With a sigh, he rubbed his temple as he continued to watch his friends argue. He did wonder what vision his friend saw in her vision but decided against knowing as the event will most likely not happen. 

"Isis please tell us what you saw" Shimon pleaded

"I'm not as desperate as Shimon, but many of us are curious about what you saw," Mahad said as his wife turned to him and whispered in his ear. With a grin he turned to whisper to Seto who whispered it to his father who continued to tell the others. 

Atem watched them all whisper to each other in confusion as they smiled and spoke quietly and heard his name being said a couple of times. "What?" he suddenly asked. Making everyone turn to look at him. 

"Nothing" they all answered with a smile

With a furrowed brow he dismissed the meeting and watched his council leave the throne room. He left not long after they did and made his way to his chambers to prepare for the festival later that day. Deciding to prepare himself a bath, he dismissed his servants and began to undress, slipping into the warm water he hummed. Relaxing his thoughts drifted to what awaited him at the festival, Isis’s vision concerned him, and wasn’t sure how he played a part in it. With a groan, he stood from his bath and then began to dry himself. Dressing in his more formal attire, his servants entered with his grandfather and began to assist him with his appearance. With his crown placed upon his head, Atem left his room and made his way to the entrance of the palace. 

The trip to the city wasn’t long and hearing the cheers of his people made him smile as he waved to them from the top of his trusted horse. His guards all watched for any signs of trouble before asking, "My Pharaoh should we keep an eye out for the trouble maker," A guard asked as they strolled through the city

"No, Isis said there is no threat, your only priority is to protect the people," Atem ordered as he looked at the crowds of people cheering for him 

The guard only nodded his head and began his patrol around the area, Atem resisted the urge to roll his eyes but turned his attention to the festivities before him. Watching his people sing, dance, and cheer brought up his spirits as he laughed along with them. He had a wonderful time joining in the fun until someone wearing a light brown hood and mask caught his attention from the crowd. Deciding to find who the stranger was, he formed a plan to slip away before anyone noticed he was even gone. 

"My Pharaoh...you will need this" Isis said, startling the young king as she handed Atem a blue hooded cloak 

"Thank you, Isis," Atem said with a smile as he slipped away 

While Isis distracted the guards watching him, Atem slipped into an alley and took off his red cape, and put on the hooded cloak. He took off most of his jewelry but left the ones on his wrists alone, stuffing everything including his crown into his satchel. Atem began his search for the mysterious stranger he saw before. It took a long time to find the stranger, every time he caught sight of him he managed to slip away before he could get near him. But to his luck, his target got himself stuck in a corner and there was no escaping him.

"Hello" he began before stopping as the other was startled to see him. Crimson eyes bore into Amethyst as a tint of pink danced around their eyes before disappearing. 

Blinking, the stranger shook his head and took a step back as he watched Atem wearily while looking around for any escape routes. He turned to look at the other and said nothing as he waited for Atem to speak. Seeing as the other was too dumbstruck the other scowled, “Are you going to stand there gawking or are you going to speak like a civilized person” he snapped before his eyes widened when he suddenly spoke the other’s language

Snapping out of his daze, Atem narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms with a scoff, “No need to be rude”

Scoffing in disbelief the stranger replied, “Me? Being rude? How does that differ from you staring at me like an idiot” 

“Now see here, the name-calling is unnecessary” 

“Believe me, I haven’t begun to insult you yet” the other replied with a hand on his hip as he stared at the human before him 

Shaking his head, Atem stared at the other and with a sigh and stretched out his hand in greeting, “I believe we got on the wrong foot. I am...Heba” 

Caught off guard the stranger wearily shook the others hand, “Yami”

“Now that we are formally acquainted, what brings you here to Egypt?” Atem said with a smile as Yami tensed 

Replying Yami said, “None that concerns you. I won’t be staying long anyway” 

“And here I thought we were going to be friends” 

Yami glared at him and began to walk past him, he groaned when hearing the other follow him through the crowds of people. The human known as Heba still tried to make a conversation with him but the sounds of horses are what drew both their attention. Heba scowled when seeing the familiar caravan ride towards the palace. 

“They are in a hurry” Yami noted 

"That is Lord Mazaki, every now and then he would bring a gift to the Pharaoh who I hear would give away those gifts to the poor” Heba said making Yami turn to him in question 

“You seem to know things about the Pharaoh, Heba” 

Atem coughed and chuckled nervously, “Well it’s from what I hear. I’ve never actually met the Pharaoh myself” 

Yami smiled under his mask, “I have to go, it was nice meeting you Heba” 

Before Atem could utter a word a group of dancers blocked his way to get to Yami and when the dancer's left, Yami was gone without a trace. He sighed and turned back to meet with his friends before anyone noticed he was gone. High above the rooftops of the city, Yami watched him before hissing in anger. Sliding down against the warm stone, tears slipped from his eyes as the pain of losing his mate was still fresh on his mind. Taking off his hood and mask, he quickly dried his tears before remembering about the horse. Placing the hood over his head once more along with his mask, he snapped his fingers and in the blink of an eye, he was invisible. 

A smile graced his face when he first began using this power with his beloved, the number of pranks he managed to pull off before he was finally caught. Quickly dismissing the memory, Yami jumped from rooftop to rooftop as he made his way back to Tomaru. And taking a few trinkets and food from merchants along the way was beneficial in Yami’s opinion. With Atem, he was already dressed in his royal attire and pretended as if he was lost in the crowds when his cousin managed to find him.

“Atem where have you been?” 

“Calm yourself Seto I was lost in the festivities as most of our people are” Atem lied as he pointed at the crowds 

Seto groaned knowing full well it was a lie, “Do I even want to know?” 

Atem gave him a cheeky grin, “No not really” 

With a sigh, Seto replied, “let’s get back to the others before grandfather has our heads” 

“Please, what’s the worst thing he can do if we don’t go back” 

Seto gave him a blank look, Atem’s smile slowly vanished as he remembered the prank war his grandfather managed to start a year prior. With a nervous chuckle and clearing his throat, “You’re right we should get going”


	10. Reunited

The ride back to the palace was peaceful as it can be, everyone quietly chatted amongst themselves while Atem was lost in his thoughts. He replied a few times to keep his friends from worrying over him. He thought of the stranger and had to suppress a grin from appearing while he thought back on their encounter. Isis was the first to notice his quiet demeanor, with a small smile she knew won’t be long until they all meet the stranger. Unbeknownst to everyone, a certain Neko followed the group to the palace with his cloaking ability. He kept shushing his animal friend when they slowly walked behind the Pharaoh’s entourage. 

Sneaking Tomaru into the stables was tricky but he managed to find an empty stall away from the other horses. “Try to keep quiet. I’ll be back soon. I promise” with a snort Yami rubbed his snout before leaving. 

Getting by the guards was easy but getting past the other animals was harder than he anticipated; Yami constantly had to keep hiding in random rooms to confuse them. He followed a few guards and servants until one, in particular, caught his attention. “Did you hear that Lord Mazaki brought another gift for the Pharaoh” 

“I’ve heard. Quite honestly the man should have better things to do than kiss up to the Pharaoh” 

“I’ve already lost count to the times he made his visit known” he responded with a sigh 

“We should hurry and head to the throne room, I’m sure General Ishtar would like the help escort Lord Mazaki off palace grounds” 

With narrowed eyes, Yami followed the two guards to the throne room while avoiding touching anything that will make his presence known. When arriving, he suppressed a curse as the doors leading to the throne room were closed. His growl didn’t go unnoticed when the two guards began looking around for the ‘animal.’ 

“The general must be training new dogs today” 

“I thought he was doing the next day?” 

Yami huffed as he was obviously offended by being compared to a dog, he ignored the two and began to look for a way in. Hearing footsteps made him pause in his endeavor and his eyes widened when he saw Heba walking through the halls. ‘What on earth is he doing here? And wearing that much gold?’ 

Ignoring the small detail his so-called friend had decided not to tell him, he was first to enter through the doors when they opened wide enough for him to enter. Holding his breath he watched as Heba stopped and looked around with narrowed eyes before shrugging and continued to enter the room. More people came in after him and settled in their places while a guard announced the arrival of a Lord Mazaki. 

‘It’s now or never’ Yami thought as he could practically hear his heartbeat in anticipation. His eyes narrowed when he recognized a familiar scent and the faint sounds of crying were heard as he choked on a sob "Yugi" he whispered as tears pricked his eyes before forcefully wiping them away 

Before he could strike he hid behind the pillar when seeing the princess of Japan herself, Mai Kujaku. Running a hand through his hair in panic, he looked back and saw her bow before everyone before going to take a seat next to another woman. Recognizing the guards next to her, he muttered a curse as he knew he wouldn’t get out of his predicament unnoticed. Especially if Otogi and Honda were both together, the two knew the tricks a neko could pull off. It didn’t take long for yugi’s cries to become louder as his kidnappers neared the throne room. The attention suddenly turned on the group who arrived and that’s when everything went to utter chaos. Mai was screaming her heart out as she pointed at the young Neko in the arms of Mazaki’s personal guard. 

"You are an Idiot!" Mai yelled as she looked around the throne room 

"Your highness please calm down!" Otogi said as trying to calm her down

"No, I will not calm down...He's holding a Neko!" Mai yelled as her hands were at her sides as she yelled

Honda and Otogi paled and looked around the throne room and had Mai walking back with them. Atem was confused about what the fuss was about since it made Mai afraid of the child the young man held in his arms. Who looked just as frightened as her while she just kept screaming and scolding Lord Mazaki. 

"I suggest you return him to his parents because people who take Neko children often end up dead!" Mai said as her bodyguards quickly escorted her out of the throne room and back to her quarters

Standing from his throne, he walked up to the other man and examined the child only to be surprised with a cat-like creature wailing for its mother. The room was silent besides the child’s wailing, Yami was already tense and his instincts were telling him to go and console his child and run. Lord Mazaki fared no better as he used a cloth to wipe the sweat off his face while his niece scowled at the trouble he got himself into. Not taking it any longer, Yami slowly crept around the room and waited for his chance. With a snarl, he leaped at the human who stood back in fear as Yami made himself known in front of everyone. 

“Now you did it uncle” a nervous voice broke out but the rising anger wasn’t hidden 

“Anzu not now” Mazaki snapped back who stood back from the angry neko 

Atem only stood there surprised as he recognized the creature before him, looking at Yami then at the guard. He slowly turned and raised his hands as Yami growled and watched his every movement. Snarling when seeing he took yugi away from the human who held him. “It’s alright, is he your son?” 

Snarls soon turned into low growls as Yami looked between him and yugi, seeing movement from the corner of his eye. The neko turned to snap at the humans around and didn’t hesitate to use his own form of magic. Guards were sent flying in different directions as Atem shielded yugi from the blast. 

“STAND DOWN!” Atem bellowed as his men reluctantly followed his command. Taking slow steps towards yami he held out the child in his arms to him. 

Surprised, Yami didn’t waste his chance as he took yugi away from him and held him close to his chest. Yugi sniffled as his cries died down when the scent and feel of his papa were close to him. Atem smiled at the scene before he turned to look at Lord Mazaki with an angered look. “You have much explaining to do, arrest him” 

Mazaki spluttered and wailed, “Wait, my pharaoh I can explain!” 

Guards were happy to take the Lord down to the dungeons and when they walked past Yami, he hissed at them while he backed up into a corner. Before Atem could reassure his friend, things just got worse when the familiar laughs of his rival were hard. “Akiefa” 

“Now that was a show, I was disappointed that he didn’t kill him but I guess Mazaki had it coming,” He said as he twirled a dagger in his hand 

Atem clenched his fists, “Seize him!” 

Akiefa only laughed as watched come from all sides, “You have to try harder than that” 

Throwing the dagger at Atem’s feet he disappeared into the shadows while the guards looked around in confusion. With an angered sigh he turned to look where Yami was but he and the child were gone. 


	11. Reunited pt.2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait, I had a severe migraine and it scared me so bad and I decided to rest for a bit. Not all is lost for my stories and collaborated ones.

_ Atem clenched his fists, “Seize him!”  _

_ Akiefa only laughed as watched come from all sides, “You have to try harder than that”  _

_Throwing the dagger at Atem’s feet he disappeared into the shadows while the guards looked around in confusion. With an angered sigh he turned to look where Yami was but he and the child were gone._

* * *

“We will catch him next time my Pharaoh” 

Atem raised his hand to silence the man, “He is the least of my concerns, the creatures are our number one priority. I want you and your men to search around the palace and the city for them. Do I make myself clear General Ishtar” 

Surprised the general bowed his head, “Yes, my Pharoah” 

Not long after the guards had left the throne room, the council were the only ones that remained as they stared at Atem in worry. Ishizu hadn’t predicted the events that transpired, her friend was clenching and unclenching his fists as he kept his temper in check. Atem spoke after he took deep breaths, “I will be in my chambers if you need me” 

Walking through the corridors of the palace, servants stood clear of him as his anger resonated in the air as he made his way to his chambers. When finally in his room, he paced back and forth trying to control his temper. Sighing he looked at the far wall near his dresser and made his way toward it knowing there was no use to delay the inevitable. Moving his dresser slightly, he pressed on a smooth stone that revealed the hidden passage, and without hesitation, he walked through its halls as the wall slowly closed again. The halls were dark, he could hear the sounds of flowing water running through deeper parts of the palace. With twists and turns, he arrived at his destination, and there he was met with an irritated princess. 

"I presume you're angry?" Atem stated as he leaned against the stone wall

"Well it's not every day you find a Neko out of Japan” Mai responded coldly

"He only came to find his son" 

"I understand that he won’t receive much of a punishment but when it involves more than one I can’t help him” 

“Mai, What do you mean?” Asked Atem. 

“Usually in situations like these, Nekos would sometimes travel in groups to hunt down the guilty party...they never travel alone” Mai informed as Atem was even more confused 

“I’m not following”

Mai rolled her eyes as she fixed atem with a blank stare, “it means that the neko didn’t come alone” 

Atem didn’t respond as he took in the information, "What should we do?" 

Mai frowned and shook her head, “There is nothing anyone can do. This hasn’t happened in over six hundred years of our history” 

With a sigh Atem rubbed his hand through his hair before looking directly at Mai, “I suppose you will be taking Mazaki to your homeland for a trial after ours is complete”

“You are correct” 

“Then I hope it goes smoothly as possible” 

Mai nodded as she stood from the rock she was sitting on and left Atem to his thoughts alone as the situation was entirely new to him. He didn’t even know such creatures as nekos existed until he saw the child Mazaki presented to him. Then there is the issue with Yami, the child's parent, for sure he thought he was crazy to reason with him as he appeared more feral than humane. Questions began to circle around his mind more before he decided to head back to his chambers to sleep on the matter. Meanwhile, a certain group of thieves was camping out in the middle of the desert while enjoying the sounds of yugi’s laughter. 

Yami cooed at him as he kept making yugi laugh and giggle while his friends laughed alongside him as they enjoyed having yugi back. Akiefa watched from afar with a small smile on his face as he listened to the group laugh and play with the child. He watched in amusement as the child grabbed handfuls of sand and watched in fascination as it slid through his little fingers. Up until the point he decided it would be edible which Yami had to put a stop to which caused a tantrum. Hearing him cry out in anger made everyone around him laugh.

“Shush little one, I’m sure there is something for you to eat that is edible” Yami reassured as Yugi continued to scream and hiss. With a growl of his own, Yugi stopped but pouted as he looked at the grains of sand once more before giving up on eating it.

“Some things never change” Jono said fondly 

“He gets it from his father, I’m merely the one that basically makes him see reason” 

“I’m sure he has some of your features to yami” Malik responded but the look Yami gave him said otherwise

“He gets his looks from me but personality-wise, it all comes from his father” 

Malik said, “Well you still have many years until you conclude your decision” 

Laughing at the thought, Yami realized he had many years until yugi was fully grown up and off making a family of his own. Until then, Yami enjoyed having him closed and dependent on him in the meantime. Sighing he knew the topic was going to be brought up and decided to get it over with when he could no longer stand the nervous glances he received. 

“I presume you are worried about what would happen to us?” 

They all looked at each other and nodded as Ryou bit his lip and answered, “We just saw the princess of Japan, Yami and I’m sure that she knows we are all here” 

“I know” 

“You know and yet you aren’t worried about the fact that we are going to be punished for leaving Japan?” Jono piped in 

Yami didn’t say a word as he clenched his fists on his lap before looking at them, “I knew the risks, we all did and yet we still came for yugi. There is no point in lamenting in past choices” 

Malik sighed but smiled, “So what’s the plan?” 

Yami looked at him in surprise before giving him a curt nod with a determined look on his face, “Well, first we get more acquainted here then our next move is going to rely more on patience and stealth” 

“Huh?” 


	12. Beginning of Hardships

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for being gone so long, I wanted to finish "Adapting" then there was pain in my fingers for a while but now everything is good so here's the chapter.

Weeks have passed since the entire fiasco, Mai had already gone back to her country in a bad mood when their only witnesses are long gone in the desert. The witnesses in Japan have long since fled deeper into the forest of their homeland; the search for them has been called off and Atem was expecting Mazaki to return to Egypt with the guard in a few months. The search for the Nekos, as Mai called them, was still going on though few strange incidents have occurred upon their appearance. Most of the noble families have reported thefts and incidents where they were believed to be cursed while other noble families, though not many, have no experiences with such occurrences. 

With a sigh, Atem leaned back into his chair as ruffled his hair to relieve his stress, ‘Now how did things come to this predicament?’ he thought as he looked at the ceiling of his office 

Hearing the door open he didn’t bother to look as he recognized the familiar steps of his oldest friend, “Hello Mana” 

“How did you know it was me?” 

With a snort he stared at the young woman before his desk, “You don’t have the decency to keep your steps light when it comes to pranking me”

“Pranks? So we are going for old childish comebacks?” she laughed as Atem gave her a look “Okay I came to play a few tricks but Mahad had me do so many spells today I'm too tired to even consider it”

“Tricks?” Atem asked 

Mana smirked, “Just two or three, I want to show you what I’ve learned” 

At that Atem’s curiosity peaked as Mana waved her scepter and when nothing happened they looked at each other before hearing angered curses and yelling. The sounds of thunder echoed through the palace halls; the two ran out of the office to see the small mistake Mana made again. “MANA!” 

With a sheepish grin, she waved her scepter and the thunder disappeared but now there was rain, “Oh I’m just making it worse” 

Atem looked at her then at the mess before his eyes widened when seeing two very angry council members, “As much as I enjoy your visit Mana, you are on your own” he said as he quickly disappeared into the shadows

Seeing her friend run off made her look into the direction he was facing only to be met with Mahad and Shimon. “uh...I’ll fix it?” 

Mahad narrowed his eyes before using his own magic to dispel the storm then laid out his hand; with a groan, Mana handed her scepter to which the older sorcerer was happy to take. “It's best you get started to clean up the mess”

“But that will take me all night!” Mana protested 

“The quicker you start the quicker you finish” Shimon added as he left to his chambers

Mahad left soon after and left Mana to deal with the mess until hearing quiet chuckles coming from the shadows, “Come to laugh” she pouted 

“No, but you have to admit it was quite funny” 

Trying to stay angry the corners of her mouth lifted as she burst out laughing and laughed harder when Atem joined. “You are such an arse” she laughed as she wiped tears from her eyes 

“I know, now let's get cleaning before we both end up not having enough sleep” Right as Atem said that the sounds of a few things breaking was heard in the background 

“And probably fix whatever it was that broke before your uncle comes to see what the noise was” 

“Good idea” 

They worked for hours until they decided to take a break and smiled upon their accomplishment until they turned to the next hallway and found an even bigger mess. With a groan, the two grabbed the mop and broom and continued to clean the palace hallways. Meanwhile, Yami was watching Yugi sleep while listening to the sounds of whispers throughout the cave. His friends were all sleeping soundly as the worries from the day before were forgotten. The young neko frowned as he knew that Mai was already on her way back to Japan to inform the emperor of what happened at the Pharaoh's palace. And just thinking of the royal made his blood boil, though he didn’t know who the Pharaoh was at the time; Yami was certain that the pharaoh was a pompous spoiled brat and the fact that he was fated to him made it worse. 

‘Of all the things that could happen...Why him?’ he groaned as he laid back in bed as he thought about Heba ‘I can’t say he’s spoiled but pompous and egotistic can fit his character’ 

With a groan, he made himself comfortable and tried to get as much sleep as he could before everyone else woke up to start the day. Which didn’t take long when hearing Jono wake up and hearing his joints pop made him groan as he sat up to stare at the golden neko. “Wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?” the other jokes 

Yami glared and threw his pillow at him which Jono easily caught and threw back, hitting yami in the face and causing the other to fall back. Laughing, Jono was caught unaware when he was struck with a sandy furred neko grinning victoriously. “That’s for waking me up” 

“Oh come on now, It’s time to get up anyway” Ryou pointed out which earned blank stares before he received three sets of pillows knocking him over “That’s uncalled for!” he laughed 

They all laughed and joked with one another as if nothing happened the day before, Yugi was surprisingly still asleep throughout the commotion. It wasn’t until Ryou’s laughter suddenly hitched causing the other to look at what the white neko was staring at. There at the doorway stood Akiefa who didn’t look pleased with them at all, “You will explain to me what happened at the palace or so help me I will let you all fend for yourselves”

“Of course” Yami responded causing his friends to look at him in shock 

_ “Yami?” Malik asked _

“I will explain later...much later” 

Akiefa didn’t care at the moment but waited for the young neko to begin explaining which Yami was happy to do. It took a while for Yami to explain every detail of his trip to the palace and what transpired during the festival but left out the details of his current situation with Heba. By the end of it, everyone was quiet before they broke out screaming at yami for his foolish decisions, at this moment yugi decided the yelling was not the perfect way to wake up. His wails are what stopped the yelling and made the Thief King awkward and slowly back away saying something about meeting with one of his men. Ryou scowled but let the human leave as he watched yami soothe the distressed child as Jono broke the silence. 

“So are you going to tell us about your fated one?”


	13. Fated Ones

The desert sun shone brightly as a new day began in the lands of Egypt, Atem faced many hardships in regards to Mazaki’s trial. Each day that passes the chances of a trial fades as their only witnesses are nowhere to be found in the kingdom. Sitting in his office, Atem sighed as he read over the guard's reports, Akiefa and his men are nowhere to be found and crossing to his territory of the desert is a trap waiting to happen. 

“What a mess,” he said as he rubbed his eyes as the strain from reading got to him 

“You could use a break” 

“Wish I could Mana but my duty as Pharaoh never ends” 

“Well that’s sad” Mana joked making Atem smile 

Snorting the young king then looked at her seriously, “Now what brings you here?” 

Mana’s mood changed as she looked around before muttering a small spell encasing the room in a bubble while Atem looked at her curiously. “Mana?” he began 

“Those nekos that princess Mai has mentioned, I did some research on them and…” She began before trailing off as her nerves took over “It is alright Mana, It can’t be that serious. The nekos don’t seem to show much hostility” 

“Well, they do kill anyone that takes their young and from my research probably cursed them…” 

Atem blinked twice before breathing deeply, “So they have magic. Great just what I need, if the people learn of this they will go on a hunting spree” 

“They might be the ones to be hunted, apparently there used to be many neko villages in Egypt before they suddenly disappeared” Mana informed laughing nervously 

Atem raised his brow and gave her a stern look before replying, “There is more to it isn’t there?” 

“Well if you call that your great-great-great-great and many greats grandfather chased them all out of Egypt and slaughtered half of the Egyptian neko population then yes there is more to it” 

Atem said nothing before growling out his frustration by slamming his fists onto his desk, breaking it in half as papers flew everywhere. Mana stood back in fear before her eyes widened in shock when seeing cat ears protruding from Atem’s head. Breathing deeply calmed himself before looking at Mana and saw her slack-jawed expression. “What?”

Mana said nothing but put her staff beside her as it floated in midair before using her hands to mimic cat ears. Atem watched in confusion and felt his ears twitch, freezing he moved his right ear and felt it bend to the top of his head before standing straight up again. “Explain” 

“It wasn’t me!” she yelled before humming in thought, “Did anything strange happen to you while you lately?” 

“Not that I can recall...well back then at the festival I met the neko there...I could’ve sworn his eyes changed color but it must've been a trick of the light” 

Mana looked at him before gasping, “You're a fated one! How exciting!” 

“A what?” 

“A fated one, in neko culture fated ones are rare as not many find their lifelong partner. In the old scrolls, I managed to find in the catacombs-”

“What were you doing in the catacombs?” 

“Not important, anyway, the scrolls did mention of humans being a nekos fated one but it has never been recorded and the last human and neko pair died before the...you know” 

Atem thought long and hard before a smirk graced his face, “I have an idea. I’ll expect you to keep everyone busy while I sneak out” 

Mana shared the same mischievous smile, “You can count on me” with a wave of her scepter she took down the barrier and fixed Atem’s desk 

Walking out of his office, the Pharaoh walked to his chambers and sent away the servants currently cleaning his room. Unlocking the hidden entrance by his bed he looked over his shoulder before entering and hearing the stone wall close behind him. Walking deeper into the tunnels the drip drops of water were heard as Atem made his way to his desired destination. Passing the small stream he and his friends usually relax as he makes his way to the end of the hallway before stopping. Using his left hand he stared directly at the stone wall while placing his palm on the wall to his left; wincing as he felt blood drip from his palm as the small blade hidden in the bricks sliced his hand. 

“Now I remember why I rarely go in here” he muttered as he watched the wall open before him

Once completely open, he walked in and smiled at the small paradise he calls his own. Entering he saw the shadow monsters play with one another before glancing at the pond a few steps away from him. The creatures stared at him for a moment before ignoring him completely when seeing he was not a threat. Atem sat on the edge and stared at his reflection before muttering a small incantation, hoping that his plan wasn’t one of complete foolishness. 

Whispering a small incantation he began to call a name, “Yami” 

Meanwhile, the neko was bathing yugi in the oasis not far from the thieves' hideout before hearing his name being called. Shaking his head he smiled at the neko child splashing the water in the basin before hearing his name being whispered again. Looking up he faced his bodyguard who was currently hiding somewhere among the sand dunes. With a scowl, he looked over at the water and saw his own reflection as his name kept being called, looking around her tapped the water’s surface with his index finger as an image of someone began to appear. 

“You” he whispered in surprise 

Smiling Atem nodded, “expecting someone else?” 

Snapping out of his stupor Yami scowled, “What do you want?” 

“I mean you no harm Yami. You have to trust me on that” 

“Your people slaughtered half of my people and they took away my most valuable possession. There is no trust that I can give” 

Watching him run a hand through his hair, Yami waited for his reply. “I need you to come and testify at Mazaki’s trial” 

Yami hissed, “You must be out of your mind” 

“If you don’t then Mazaki goes free and he will do it again to gain my favor. He is not well-liked but if I go on with the trial there will be uproar and I can’t allow that” 

Yami scowled before looking at yugi and the anger melted away and was replaced with worry before looking at Atem. “When shall I be there?” 

“I shall retrieve you myself, I don’t want my men to overreact when seeing you,” Atem said before smiling “It is good to see that you're fine” 

Caught off guard yami stuttered before answering, “You sound like a love-sick fool” 

“Well I must admit that you are very beautiful and cunning” 

Flushing Yami turned away to hide his reddening face before looking down once more, “Well I hope you accept the sincere apology that I cut this conversation short” 

Atem looked shocked before seeing a small hand reach into the water and the connection was cut once Yugi began to splash water everywhere. With Atem, he chuckled as he caught sight of the young neko before a serene look was directed towards the water. “Cunning indeed” 


End file.
